Let’s get to know Lyn Sewell, who uses her 36 years of experience living with diabetes to provide support, products and inspiration for the diabetes community across South Africa.
Tell us a little bit about yourself?
I am Lyn Sewell, CEO and co-founder of Diabetic Accessories SA, a company that makes beautiful accessories that everyone living with diabetes wants and needs, making them smile whilst feeling beautiful and successful, every day.
I am so proud to be an SA Diabetes Advocate, a Diabetes Mentor with Sweet Life. I get to help people living with diabetes through sharing my own lived experience, referring them to healthcare professionals or support groups in their province, drying their tears, giving them hugs or just listening to them.
I’m also the Admin for Kids Powered by Insulin (KPI), an amazing Facebook and WhatsApp support group that is specifically for parents, families and caregivers of newly diagnosed Type 1 diabetes Warriors, as we call them. And I’m a Diabetes Alliance member.
I am 59 years old and was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of 23 in 1990.
Where does your passion for the diabetes community come from?
When I was diagnosed, I was 6 and a half months pregnant. I was so excited to become pregnant after trying for a while that I did everything 100% correctly so that I wouldn’t lose my precious baby. However, at week 26, I ended up in a coma. My symptoms weren’t taken into consideration at all and my little girl was stillborn on the 7th day of my coma. That was the day that I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes by an angel, who is still my endocrinologist today. I see him as my father, my mentor, my best friend and much more.
I’ve been the Admin for our own diabetes WhatsApp support group, where we share delicious recipes every day, since our inception in 2019. I’m also Admin of other South Africans with Diabetes WhatsApp community groups. Non-judgemental groups where we share our concerns and support with others who live with the same condition, (especially when we aren’t in the mood for diabetes!) and perhaps learn from them too.
What’s the one thing you wish you’d known when you were diagnosed with diabetes?
I wish I knew what the symptoms of diabetes were then, but I didn’t. If I had, I may have been able to save my baby girl. The pain, suffering, blame, hate, and every emotion you could possibly think of – I went through it but I hid it all.
If the nurses knew the symptoms, perhaps they would have taken my complaints seriously. If my gynecologist knew the symptoms and had taken me seriously, that would not have happened.
I hid my diabetes from everyone. I went to parties, weekend bashes with friends who also didn’t know about my diabetes. It felt as if it was my fault. That I was supposed to have known what was wrong with me.
Instead, I became a total rebel and did absolutely everything that I wanted and wasn’t supposed to do. During this time, my endocrinologist kept phoning me and asking, “How are you?” and, “What can I do to help?”
It took someone very special and dear to me, who has sadly passed away a few years ago, Dr Larry Distiller, to stop me in my self-destructive tracks. He asked me:
“Do you want to destroy your life or are you going to accept that you have diabetes and learn to let diabetes live with you and not you with it?”
Dr Larry Distiller
Dr Stiller has written a book “So, You Have Diabetes” which I recommend.
The right support
My brother, who was 17 years older than me, had also been living with Type 1 diabetes for many years and I saw what it did to him and how it destroyed his life, because he let it. He was a body builder who competed with the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger. I refused to let diabetes ruin my life like it did his.
Due to my endocrinologist’s continuous calls and Dr Distiller’s words, I finally decided that I would change my life and prove to the world that living with diabetes didn’t need to be a ball and chain. I reached out to the Centre for Diabetes and they arranged a diabetes team who helped me walk this road living with diabetes. Rosemary Flynn, a psychologist who worked there, helped me cry, scream, shout and let all my emotions out. She is also living with Type 1 diabetes so she understood what I was going through and what I was feeling.
That was when I decided that I wanted to help people after their diagnosis. But first I had to learn everything I could about diabetes, what my body is going through and how it works.
Lyn Sewell
It is very important for all of us living with diabetes to have a diabetes team to work with. If you can’t afford a team, then learning from others who do can help you. So reach out to me please – I’ll do my best to refer you to a healthcare professional who could assist you.
If you could change one thing about diabetes, what would it be?
To have a “pause” button in life so that all of us living with diabetes could just take a break. A holiday, a good night’s sleep or just a few minutes of quiet time to breathe, as we know that there is no time off from living with diabetes. I wish that I could find a way to let everyone know that if you need help, there is help available. Don’t give up, please.
Learn, and learn some more, because knowledge is power. Don’t get upset if you don’t get it right today, tomorrow is another day to try again. As long as you try, better days, health and happiness are within your reach.
Lyn Sewell
Learning about diabetes
My endocrinologist’s keen interest and professionalism helped me learn everything that I could and led to me signing up for the first course that I graduated from. It was in June 1994, called Body Link, facilitated by Michael Brown (pictured above). I attended many of Michael’s courses. Because I was still learning and in the early stages of living with diabetes, counting carbohydrates, corrections and understanding insulin to carb ratios, I often had low sugars throughout the day and had to excuse myself from my courses and from exams. That was so frustrating. Thank goodness for continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) today, they are a real lifesaver.
My endocrinologist still teaches me and also shares his medical journals with me too. I’ve learnt so much over the years and I am still learning, thanks to CDE Academy, International Diabetes Federation and more.
I won’t stop learning until I blow out my last breath.
What would you say to a person with diabetes who is struggling?
I understand that healthcare professionals don’t have enough time to help each person with all there is to know about diabetes. When you are diagnosed, your head is spinning. You are trying so hard to mentally save all the information that is thrown at you, but most of it doesn’t even sink in. That shock just takes over, numbing you completely.
Booklets, information pamphlets, WhatsApp support groups and business cards would be so welcome at the time of diagnosis. So when you are ready, you can call, message, email or see someone who can guide, help, calm, love and assist you. That’s where I come in.
To ask: “How are you? Do you need a hand to hold? Are you struggling?”
To say: “I’ve got you. I see you. I’ll help you. I walk the same path as you do.’
Being a Diabetes Mentor, I can help you reach your happy place whilst living with diabetes, too.
The next chapter
In 1995, my beautiful baby girl was born and gave me even more of a reason to live life to the fullest. Especially because back then it was not only unheard of that people living with diabetes could have a successful pregnancy, it was also discouraged.
With the knowledge, the know-how and, of course, all the diabetes gadgets that are available to us today, it makes it so much easier.
My baby girl has been a part of Diabetic Accessories SA since its inception and one day it will be hers to run and help others. She learns so much from me and all the work that I do to help others. She loves learning, reading and listening to anything diabetes related and is looking forward to completing the Diabetes Advocacy Course.
What makes your life sweet?
Meeting people, especially during all our World Diabetes Day events that we do so many of each year. Helping people understand their new life living with diabetes and holding their hand whilst they learn. Being a shoulder to cry on when they just want to give up, or just being there to listen so they feel better. Talking to people every day, answering their questions and helping them figure diabetes out the lived experience way. That’s what makes me smile and makes my life sweet.
I’ve never been healthier nor happier, and that makes my life living with diabetes sweet.
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